Overheard – Tour de France Preview Edition--- “You keep hoping it is getting better. But when they told me the bad news, the world fell apart: I’m not going to be the winner of the 2012 Tour. I’m not even going to be in the race. The second day I couldn’t stand the pain anymore and had to get off the bike. I’ve broken my collarbone two times, but this is by far the most painful injury I’ve had.”

-- Andy Schleck, at the news conference announcing that he will not compete in the Tour de France, which begins June 30 in Liège, Belgium. He crashed in the time trial a week earlier at the Critérium du Dauphine, apparently felled by a gust of wind, but the injury went undiagnosed for several days.

In the crash, Schleck fractured his sacrum, a bone that connects the pelvis to the lower back. He finished the stage, but two days later the pain forced him to abandon the race.

The news was a devastating blow to the RadioShack-Nissan team, which already was not having a good year but had anticipated working for Schleck to challenge Cadel Evans (BMC) and Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky) for the TdF title. Now, the team will soldier on without their best hope, and with a lineup that is both old (Chris Horner, Jens Voigt, et al) and effectively training for the Olympics (Fabian Cancellara).

Frank Schleck did, though, have a good 2nd place showing in the just-completed Tour de Suisse.

Andy Schleck is expected to return in time for the Olympic road race July 28.